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PTI - The Pratapgarh administration today distributed ex-gratia to the next of kin of the victims of stampede at Kripaluji Maharaj ashram, a day after Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati made an announcement in this regard, a government spokesman said today.

"Cheques of Rs 2.50 lakh each were distributed among kin of 61 people killed in the stampede at Kripaluji Maharaj ashram on March 4. Financial assistance of Rs 75,000 each was provided to grievously injured," he said.

Cheques of two families were withheld due to heirship dispute and would be distributed after legal help, he said.

Retracting from her earlier stance, where Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati had complained of an acute financial crisis and inability to give compensation to the victims of the stampede, she announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2.5 lakhs to the kin of the deceased and Rs 76 thousand each to the critically injured on Wednesday which is much higher than what was announced by the Prime Minister last week.

It seems that UP govt dont want to help people of pratapgarh. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh may have announced Rs 2 lakh each to the next of kin of those killed in the Pratapgarh ashram but Chief Minister Mayawati has no money to offer to the victims.

Rs 2000 crore have been spent on building the statues of Dalit icons, but there is no money to help those who died in the Pratapgarh stampede.

In a press release issued on Friday night the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister said that the state will not be able to provide compensation to the victims due to financial constraints.